Chronological List of Biblical Texts

This page attempts to enlist all the known biblical texts in chronological order.

c. 70 CE Epistle to the Laodiceans.
Dating: There's no direct dating available, but Theodore Beza identifies it with Epistle to the Ephesians and Pauline authorship to be read to many churches in the Laodicean area.
Author: Paul (possible)
Influenced by: Originator
Influenced: N/A
Earliest Known Copy: Fulda Manuscript, 546 CE
Codex: Codex Fuldensis
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Epistles
Part of: Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 70 CE Acts of Barnabas.
Dating: 70-135 CE
Author: John Mark, the companion of Paul the Apostle (possible)
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: N/A
Codex: N/A
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Pseudepigrapha, Acts
Part of: Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 70 CE Epistle to the Ephesians.
Dating: 60–70 CE
Author: Apostle Paul
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: Papyrus 46, circa 175–225 CE
Codex:
Canon: Canon/New Testament
Class: Epistles (letters),
Part of: New Testament.
c. 70 CE Epistle to the Colossians.
Dating: 60–70 CE, written, according to the text, by Paul the Apostle and Timothy to the Church in Colossae.
Author: Paul the Apostle and Saint Timothy
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: Folio 86–94, Papyrus 46, circa 175–225 CE
Codex: Codex Claromontanus
Canon: Canon/New Testament
Class: Epistles
Part of: New Testament, Prison Epistles.
c. 90-110 CE Gospel of John
Dating: The gospel of John went through two to three stages, or "editions", before reaching its current form around CE 90–110.
Author:
Influenced by: Possible some version of Mark and possibly Luke, but this is debated.
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: Papyrus P52 18:31–33, 18:37–38.
Codex:
Canon: New Testament
Class:
Origin:
Part of: Gospel of John.
c. 100 CE Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter/Coptic Apocalypse of Peter.
Dated: 100-200 CE.
Author:
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy:
Codex: Nag Hammadi
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Apocalypse,
Part of: Apocalypse Gospels
c. 100 CE Acts of Mar Mari.
Dating: Known to be written in the late first century and in the beginning of the second century
Author: Saint Mari
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: multiple manuscripts, circe 19th century
Codex: Library of the Rabban Hormizd Monastery
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Acts
Origin: Syriac Christian
Part of: Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 100 CE Acts of Paul and Thecla.
Dating: Jerome recounts the information from Tertullian, and on account of his great care to chronology, some scholars regard the text a 1st-century creation.
Author: Possibly a presbyter from Asia
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: Oxyrhynchus Pap 6, circa fifth century CE
Codex: Oxyrhynchus Papyri
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Acts
Part of:Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. Apocalypse of Stephen.
Dating: Not dated.
Author: Unknown
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy:
Codex:
Canon:
Class:
Origin:
Part of: Apocalypse Gospels.
c. 120 CE Gospel of the Hebrews.
Dating: circa 110 CE
Author:
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy:
Codex:
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Gospel
Origin: Egypt
Part of: Part of Jewish-Christian Gospels.
c. 120 CE Secret Gospel of Mark.
Dating: circa 125 CE,
Author: Unknown, Oral Gospel Tradition
Influenced by: Gospel of John (possible)
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: Mentioned in Mar Saba letter
Codex:
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class:
Origin:
Part of: Part of Gnostic Gospels.
c. 120 CE Gospel of Marcion / Gospel of the Lord.
Dating: 120 CE
Author: Marcion of Sinope
Influenced by: Gospel of Luke
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: Lost
Codex:
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Godpel
Origin: Sinope, Turkey (possible)
Part of: Other Gospels.
c. 125 CE Gospel of Peter / Gospel according to Peter.
Dating: Bart Ehrman places it in the first half of the second century.
Author: Apostle Peter (possible)
Influenced by: Synoptic Gospels/Oral Traditions
Influenced:
Earliest Known Copy: 8th-9th century CE
Codex: Nag Hammadi
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class: Gospel, Pseudepigrapha
Origin: Egypt (possible)
Part of: Other Gospels.
c. 125 CE Apocalypse of Peter / Revelation of Peter.
Dating: Revealed by its use (in Chapter 3) of 4 Esdras, written around 100 CE.
Author:
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Oldest Known Copy:
Codex: Clementine literature
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class/Genre:
Origin:
Part of: Apocalypse Gospels.
c. 125 CE Apocryphon of James / Secret Book of James.
Dating: circa 125 CE,
Author: Not known.
Influenced by: Possible gnostic influence
Influenced:
Oldest Known Copy: Codex I, Section 2,
Codex: Jung Codex, Nag Hammadi
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class/Genre: Pseudonymous
Origin: Egypt (possible)
Part of:Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 145 CE Gospel of James / Infancy Gospel of James / Protoevangelium of James.
Dating: Scholars have concluded that the work was not written by the person to whom it is attributed, but was composed some time in the mid to late 2nd century.
Author: James (brother of Jesus) (possible)
Influenced by: Purported Oral Tradition
Influenced:
Oldest Known Copy: Papyrus Bodmer 5
Codex: Bodmer Library
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class/Genre: Gospel, Pseudepigrapha,
Origin: Greek (speculated)
Part of: Infancy Gospels.
c. 150 CE Gospel of the Ebionites.
Dating: It is thought to have been composed during the middle of the 2nd century, since several other gospel harmonies are known to be from this period.
Author: Not Known. (Irenaen Ebionites, Epiphanius of Salamis; he misidentified it as the "Hebrew" gospel)
Influenced by: Gospel of Matthew (possible, speculated)
Influenced:
Oldest Known Copy: Extant (brief quotations in a heresiology known as the Panarion, by Epiphanius of Salamis)
Codex: Not Available.
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class/Genre:
Origin: Gospel,
Part of: Jewish-Christian Gospels.
c. 150 CE Infancy Gospel of Thomas.
Dating: Believed to date latest to the 2nd century or earlier. Scholars generally agree on a date in the mid- to late-2nd century CE.
Author: Thomas the Israelite (this attribution is made in a medieval Latin version). The biblical Thomas (or Judas Thomas, Didymos Judas Thomas, etc.) is very unlikely to have had anything to do with the text. as the author seems not to have known much of Jewish life.
Influenced by: Gospel of Luke (possible)
Influenced:
Oldest Known Copy:
Codex: Nag Hammadi
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
Class/Genre: Gnostic, Gospel
Origin:
Part of: Infancy Gospels.
c. 150 CE Epistula Apostolorum. (Latin for Letter of the Apostles)
Dating: Probably dating from the 2nd century CE, it was within the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
Author: Ostensibly written in name of the apostles.
Influenced by: Gospel of John, Apocalypse of Peter, Epistle of Barnabas, and Shepherd of Hermas
Influenced:
Oldest Known Copy:
Codex:
Canon:
Class/Genre: Pseudepigrapha, Epistles
Origin:
Part of Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 150 CE Acts of John.
Dating:
Author:
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Oldest Known Copy:
Codex:
Canon:
Class/Genre:
Origin:
Part of Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 150 CE Prayer of the Apostle Paul.
Codex: Nag Hammadi Library.
c. 160 CE Gospel of Truth.
Part of Gnostic Gospels.
Codex: Nag Hammadi Library.
c. 160 CE Epistle of the Corinthians to Paul. Part of Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 170 CE Acts of Peter. Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 175 CE Gospel of the Nazarenes. Part of Jewish-Christian Gospels.
c. 180 CE Apocryphon of John. Part of Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 190 CE Gospel of Judas.
Dated: Second Century CE
Author:
Manuscript: Earlist known manuscript dates to 280 CE
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Part of: Gnostic Gospels.
c. 200 CE Acts of Peter and the Twelve. Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 200 CE Apocalypse of Thomas.
Dated: Second-Fourth Century CE
Author:
Manuscript: Earlist known manuscript dates to circa 750 CE
Influenced by:
Influenced:
Part of: Gnostic Gospels.
c. 200 CE Letter of Peter to Philip.
Part of Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 220 CE First Apocalypse of James.
Apocalypse Gospels.
c. 220 CE Second Apocalypse of James.
Apocalypse Gospels.
c. 225 CE Acts of Thomas. Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 240 CE Acts of Peter and Andrew.
Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 250 CE Apocalypse of Paul.
Apocalypse Gospels.
c. 250 CE Acts of Andrew.
Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 250? CE Coptic Apocalypse of Paul.
Apocalypse Gospels.
c. 280 CE Gospel of Philip.
Gnostic Gospels.
c. 290 CE Acts of the Martyrs.
Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 290 CE Acts of Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca.
Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 300 CE Correspondence of Paul and Seneca.
Part of Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 340 CE Acts of Peter and Paul.
Part of: Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 340 CE Gospel of Thomas.
Other Gospels.
c. 340 CE Codex Sinaiticus
Dating: Codex Sinaiticus is generally dated to the fourth century, and sometimes more precisely to the middle of that century. This is based on study of the handwriting, known as palaeographical analysis.
Author/Editor: Unknown
Canon: Apocrypha/New Testament
c. 350 CE Third Epistle to the Corinthians.
Part of Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 350 CE Gospel of Nicodemus.
Other Gospels.
c. 375 CE Acts of Philip. Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 450 CE Gospel of Mary.
Gnostic Gospels.
c. 450 CE Acts of Timothy.
Dated: 5th Century CE
Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 490 CE Epistle of Pseudo-Titus.
Part of Apocryphal Epistles.
c. 544 CE Acts of Thaddeus.
Dated: 544-944 CE
Apocryphal Acts of Apostels.
c. 550 CE Unknown Berlin Gospel.
Gnostic Gospels.
c. 600 CE Syriac Infancy Gospel.
Part of Infancy Gospels
c. 600 CE History of Joseph the Carpenter.
Part of Infancy Gospels
c. 610 CE Infancy Gospel of Matthew.
Part of Infancy Gospels
c. 610 CE Gospel of Barnabas.
Part of Other Gospels
c. 650 CE Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius.
Part of Apocalypse Gospels
June 07, 2015

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